Great article and something I've been searching for. Thanks for getting this started!

In addition to the basic size requirements - there are a lot of other factors in board shape, rocker, flexibility and other characteristics that affect how a board rides/feels in certain conditions.

I would very, very, very much appreciate a breakdown of what board characteristic equates to for on-the-water feel.For example, what do the following features equate to when riding:* Rocker - More = cuts thru chop? better carving turns? better for rails?; Less = better upwind?, faster?* Stiffness - ?* Weight - ?* Outline - ?* Channels - Adds additional rocker to the tip? Give more rigidity to the tip? helps upwind ability?* Concave(s) - ?

If you incorporated the above into some sort document it would be very beneficial to the noobs (like me) who are looking to buy a board and reading reviews and product descriptions.

In addition to describing the above...It would ideal if you or someone would could provide specs for stiffness and rocker in addition to the normal specs for size (width at end, middle and length) & weight.For stiffness - place the board in a bracket holding one end and over the strap/boot position and measure the force to deflect the other end a fixed amount.For rocker - place the board on a flat surface. List the length of flat in the middle and the height of the end.

This would be hugely beneficial when shopping for a board. Describing a product as "it's stiffer than x board", "has more pop" or "designed for the PKRA rider" really doesn't tell the consumer much as to how this board is going to behave.

imho, the way you've broken down the offerings will not help a beginner discern what they need, the only real consideration for a true beginner is that the board be weight proportional (e.g. be able to carry the kiter for a correct rigging).. it should really be further simplified for 14-20kn conditions, outside of this window you're just talking danger and frustration.. in other words one basic choice.. other than that the advice from the last poster is true (what I would do, if I were doing it all over again).

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun asking for more detail about things like rocker. Another way to approach this (again, noob here just throwing out examples) is to say "for your first board, don't sweat the rocker or flex; just get a board that is the right size for your weight and has X and Y other characteristics." It's up to you pros whether it's worth it for beginners to look into the details.

imho, the way you've broken down the offerings will not help a beginner discern what they need, the only real consideration for a true beginner is that the board be weight proportional (e.g. be able to carry the kiter for a correct rigging).. it should really be further simplified for 14-20kn conditions, outside of this window you're just talking danger and frustration.. in other words one basic choice.. other than that the advice from the last poster is true (what I would do, if I were doing it all over again).

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun asking for more detail about things like rocker. Another way to approach this (again, noob here just throwing out examples) is to say "for your first board, don't sweat the rocker or flex; just get a board that is the right size for your weight and has X and Y other characteristics." It's up to you pros whether it's worth it for beginners to look into the details.

Timothy don't get me wrong I think the quality of your write up is excellent, just the approach, for a beginner they might be walking away with more questions.. they also need to understand their typical spots.. I've never seen any coverage in this regard.. its kind of like handing over a manual stick shift to someone who is learning how to drive. My 2 obsolete canadian pennies.

Yeah, I may have jumped the gun asking for more detail about things like rocker. Another way to approach this (again, noob here just throwing out examples) is to say "for your first board, don't sweat the rocker or flex; just get a board that is the right size for your weight and has X and Y other characteristics." It's up to you pros whether it's worth it for beginners to look into the details.

Great point timothy - keeping it simple to start with definitely helps.

Props to Naish for detailing almost everything I was looking for in order to compare multiple boards to each other. Hopefully other mfrs will take their lead and follow suit. Retailers need to post these specs with the Naish boards in their online stores!http://2013-mid-season.catalogs.naishkites.com/#page/28

tish wrote:

Great article and something I've been searching for. Thanks for getting this started!

In addition to the basic size requirements - there are a lot of other factors in board shape, rocker, flexibility and other characteristics that affect how a board rides/feels in certain conditions.

I would very, very, very much appreciate a breakdown of what board characteristic equates to for on-the-water feel.For example, what do the following features equate to when riding:* Rocker - More = cuts thru chop? better carving turns? better for rails?; Less = better upwind?, faster?* Stiffness - ?* Weight - ?* Outline - ?* Channels - Adds additional rocker to the tip? Give more rigidity to the tip? helps upwind ability?* Concave(s) - ?

If you incorporated the above into some sort document it would be very beneficial to the noobs (like me) who are looking to buy a board and reading reviews and product descriptions.

In addition to describing the above...It would ideal if you or someone would could provide specs for stiffness and rocker in addition to the normal specs for size (width at end, middle and length) & weight.For stiffness - place the board in a bracket holding one end and over the strap/boot position and measure the force to deflect the other end a fixed amount.For rocker - place the board on a flat surface. List the length of flat in the middle and the height of the end.

This would be hugely beneficial when shopping for a board. Describing a product as "it's stiffer than x board", "has more pop" or "designed for the PKRA rider" really doesn't tell the consumer much as to how this board is going to behave.

Bille, I've been tempted by surfboards. Unfortunately the main places I plan to kite are not great wave-surfing spots. However, it looks like fun to carve around with a directional board, and as you say it looks like a different set of skills are used. It's on my list. One problem is that I'm not sure if I could fit a 6'ish surfboard in my little car.

I'm headed to Fort Fisher, NC this weekend for a refresher lesson, to meet the local folks, and (hopefully) to test-drive some boards. Wish me luck!

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